A/N: The reviews for the last chapter were probably some of the best I've read for this story. Thank you so much for the kind words and more importantly, for the encouragement. And on that note I'd like to apologize for the long wait. This chapter just didn't want to come out right. Well here it is; better late than never.

Enjoy ^^


18:00 couldn't have come any faster even if it came barreling in at the speed of a meteor colliding with the earth. Minutes turned to hours as Levi anxiously awaited the end of the day, eyes all but glued to his wristwatch as the digits lazily turned, bringing the day ever closer to its end albeit at a glacial pace. Those who were unfortunate enough to encounter the man during the day were met with snappiness and rudeness stemming from his impatience, and as the hours drew nearer to the eighteenth hour of the day, Levi became all but unbearable.

When he arrived at the dojo, he barely raised a brow at those who greeted him. Even the professional fighters, men who were considered to be a part of Levi's personal circle of friends, were ignored as Levi made a beeline to the back of the dojo. His silent and hasty retreat to the area where he usually trained may have been rude – and that was putting it kindly – but it was not entirely unexpected. Those in Levi's social circle saw the man as a constant brooder, and today was just a quiet brooding day instead of one wrought with constant insults, uncalled for judgments and language so foul that a sailor would feel mortified hearing it.

Levi grabbed his skipping rope and quickly unraveled its black, plastic length. He shook it straight and positioned it behind his heels, all the while tilting his head this way and that, backwards and forwards as if that and five little jumps on the tips of his toes would be sufficient to warm up his muscles. Levi then began skipping, moderately paced at first but quickly finding his rhythm and increasing his pace to a harrowing tempo. No one at the dojo could skip as fast as Levi. In fact, some believed that Levi was the fastest man on a skipping rope in the world.

Of course, his disagreement was quite vocal, but other than that he cared little for what the gossips said.

After only five minutes of skipping, Eren Yeager's arrival caught Levi's attention. He immediately slowed down, bleeding off the momentum of the skipping rope until he no longer had to focus on keeping his rhythm. At this moderate pace, he was able to inconspicuously observe the brunette.

Eren's smile was dazzling. It seemed as if that smiled reached from ear to ear, and that smile coupled with his striking emerald eyes gave Eren a boyish expression that was both endearing and devastatingly attractive. Levi could only stare as Eren greeted every single person he walked past, shaking hands with the men, hugging the women and waving at those who were out of his reach. Eren even greeted the cleaner, going out of his way to shake hands with the man wiping down the equipment.

The brunette had clearly been raised well. It pleased Levi greatly.

But then that smile vanished. The warm glint in Eren's eye froze and his friendly gaze hardened. It didn't take much guesswork to deduce what had sapped the joy from Eren's demeanor – Jean Kirstein sauntered by Eren then, hands in his pockets and arrogance oozing from his very pores as he strutted as if the world were his own creation. He winked at Eren, causing the brunette to snarl in reply, which provoked Jean to say something that had Eren snapping back angrily before marching off towards the locker-room.

Kirstein was left behind, laughing at Eren's irritation yet still taking the time to enjoy the view of Eren's ass. He bit his bottom lip, eyes glued to Eren's derriere with a look in them that very obviously showed that he was reliving the events of the previous night in his mind.

What a dog, Levi thought.

Levi shook his head and busied himself with rolling up his skipping rope, opting to rather not dwell on what he'd seen. After all, given what had happened only the night before, Levi truly shouldn't be surprised by Kirstein's brash display of lusting after obviously provoking Eren. Levi idly wondered if Kirstein got off on Eren's humiliation and degradation.

When Eren emerged from the locker room only a minute later, his head immediately whipped from left to right, no doubt in search of Levi. Those emerald eyes were focused as they scanned the back area of the dojo, knowing exactly where to search to find the man. In only one comprehensive scan of the training area, Eren's eyes met with Levi's, and for a moment neither man moved.

There was some sort of connection in that moment, Levi could feel it. He did not imagine it; he couldn't have. It was not in Levi's nature to seek out 'moments' with others, or to feel for connections that would indicate someone was 'made for him'. He did not believe in that romantic bullshit whatsoever, yet in that moment that he and Eren Yeager met eye to eye, something sparked between them that made time stand still.

What…

As if he had been summoned, Eren immediately made his way to Levi, eyes never leaving the man's. His walk was confident, his strides long and sure, but there was a tension to his posture that was impossible to miss. His hands were balled into fists and his brows furrowed over his focused eyes, jaw clenching and unclenching in time to his steps. The brunette's apprehension was palpable, yet his surety unwavering, and that tango of conflicting auras had Levi absolutely fixated on Eren.

Eren stopped a meter short of Levi and held out his hand. "Hi, Levi."

It took a moment before Levi was able to re-center himself. He brought himself back to the here and now, away from all that was Eren, and eyed the brunette's hand. The first thought he had was that that was likely the very hand Eren used to satisfy himself on lonely nights. The second thought that entered his mind was that Eren had just come from the locker-room and could very well have just used the bathroom. While the idea of Eren's erect cock in that hand was sultry, the mere thought of that same cock now flaccid was absolutely repulsive.

"When last did you wash your hands?" Levi asked.

The brunette scoffed and held out his hands as if for inspection. "I wash every time I take a piss, dad."

Daddy, huh? Levi raised a brow. "I'd hope you don't use such language when talking to your father."

Instead of reply, Eren shrugged and walked on past Levi. He took one of the skipping ropes neatly rolled up in a plastic container along the wall, calmly unraveled it and began skipping. His form was flawless and his rhythm consistent; the red rope skimmed right underneath the balls of his feet milliseconds after his powerful calf muscles had him bouncing only centimeters into the air. His pace was nothing compared to Levi's, but it was quick, and the effort the brunette expanded was obvious in the tensing of the muscles in his legs and forearms.

It looked too good not to appreciate, however now was not the time.

Levi tore his eyes from Eren's muscular form just in time to see Kirstein turning away with a snarl on those lips. The look in Kirstein's eyes was one of pure hatred, and even though Levi caught the man turning away, it was not hard to deduce that that glare was being shot right at Eren. Levi inconspicuously watched as Kirstein approached another fighter, whispered something to that fighter as the pair looked straight at Eren. The other fighter shrugged, and Kirstein walked away looking angrier than he had seconds earlier.

If Levi had cared any more, he would have wondered what Kirstein had said to the other fighter. He would have wondered what the other fighter's reply had been to Kirstein. However, Levi simply turned back to Eren, thoroughly appreciating the sight of the brunette's taut, muscular body working as that skipping rope accelerated ever more through the air.

Once Eren's fifteen minutes had come to an end, he was glistening from the sheen of sweat on his skin. He looked like he belonged in an advertisement and Levi would be damned but it was breathtaking. There was a boyish excitement in Eren's eyes that no person with a double-digit age could possibly possess, and the wide grin on the young fighter's face was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking. Yet at the same time, Eren's features were masculine and mature; he may have boyishness etched in his features, but those features were that of a man. A devilishly handsome man.

Eren was perfect. Eren was now his apprentice. And by the gods, Levi wished Eren could become so much more.


Two hours later, and that boyish grin had vanished. The fire in Eren's eyes had died. The zest in his demeanor and the skip in his step had all but been obliterated. Eren Yeager was nothing more than a heap of exhaustion, over-exertion and depleted endurance. One hundred and twenty minutes under Levi's command had pushed the brunette to his limits, leaving him breathless, motionless and all but lifeless.

Looking at Eren as he lay on his back – arms covering his face, desperately trying to catch his breath and wobbling the mass of muscles in his legs about to try and fight off the nauseating burn of lactic acid – Levi's mind went straight to the gutters. Levi imagined Eren in post-coital bliss, his body exhausted to this very point, yet satisfied beyond all measure. Panting, sweating and aching…Levi could only wish that he would have the pleasure of seeing Eren in this state in the sultrier context.

Despite the fantasies his mind was conjuring up, his rationality outweighed that. He looked down at Eren – Eren was deathly pale, trembling and breathing deeply as if he were desperately fighting off nausea.

"Are you okay, brat?" Levi asked.

"No," Eren answered weakly. There was a tremble in that voice that said he did not want to speak for fear of losing his stomach.

The idea of that happening on the dojo floor mortified Levi.

"Come," Levi said, nudging Eren gently in the ribs, earning a disgruntled groan. "Let's get you to the locker-room."

Eren protested with a moan and a weak shake of his head.

"If you puke on my dojo floor I'm going to make you lick it up, clean what's left barehanded and then pay for the re-padding of this entire dojo," Levi said.

"You're cruel…" Eren mumbled.

"You have no idea."

Oh Eren truly had no idea of the cruelty Levi was capable of. Yet just as cruel as Levi could be, he was equally as nurturing. While he was mortified – petrified, actually – by the thought of someone vomiting on the floor on which he trained, he was genuinely concerned about Eren's well-being. He had pushed the brunette to the point of exhaustion, ignoring the young fighter's physical limitations and exploiting the strong will to fight that Eren possessed. He had done all of this, and now Eren was in this state; it was his fault, so Eren was his responsibility, and no one else's.

"Oi," Levi said.

"I'm not feeling so good," Eren mumbled weakly.

"Let me help you," Levi said.

Before Eren could agree or protest, Levi bent down beside the brunette. He swung Eren's arm over his shoulders, ignoring the protest coming from the immobilized fighter, and assisted him to the locker-room. The two hobbled along together, Eren barely able to support his own body weight but Levi withthe strength to support them both. The seven meter walk felt more like two miles; Levi kept his pace slow and his body steady as to not upset Eren's already sensitive constitution.

"Thank you," Eren whispered as they eventually made it to the locker-room.

The sincerity in those words was sobering. Yet that same sincerity made Levi believe that Eren never would have thought that Levi would do such a thing. Was it unfathomable to imagine Levi helping a fellow fighter?

"I'm gonna be sick," Eren suddenly said, tearing himself from Levi and bolting towards the toilet cubicles at the very back of the locker-room.

Levi was more than happy to let him go (and quite relieved to hear the door shut and the toilet seat slam up before the disgusting retching began).

Eren truly had pushed his boundaries today. With his hands still swollen and sensitive to the touch, today's training revolved mainly around cardio, core strength and leg strength. Levi had been merciless, and Eren had been all too eager to comply. Whether to impress or improve, Levi did not know, but Eren went on despite his body's protest. He persevered despite the pain he was feeling, despite the burn in his lungs and the numbness in his limbs. Eren not only pushed his boundaries, he broke them. And now he was paying the price.

Yet despite the consequence, Levi was impressed. He had always known Eren had unfathomable willpower but even he underestimated the brunette. In fact, Eren somewhat reminded him of himself in his younger days; committed and focused to a point of completely disregarding his own physical well-being. It was admirable, but it was also dangerous. He would have to keep an eye on Eren.

"Eren?" someone called out, breaking the silence in the locker room.

Levi glanced up at the call of Eren's name, and was met with the sight of none other than Jean Kirstein, shirtless, making his way to the toilets.

"Eren, are you in here?" Kirstein asked. He knocked on the only shut cubicle, and his question was answered with a gag. "Are you okay?"

"Go away…" Eren said before retching yet again.

Surprisingly, Kirstein complied. He turned away from the cubicle and walked away. Although instead of leave the locker-room, he walked straight up to Levi, posture tense and aggressive and eyes filled with anger and distrust.

"What did you do to him?" Jean asked Levi.

What?

"Excuse me?" Levi replied.

"What. Did you do to him?" Kirstein asked again.

Levi could not believe what was happening. The very man who had not only broken Eren's heart, but who continued to use and mistreat Eren, was standing before Levi and confronting the man on Eren's well-being as if he actually cared. The very same dog who wanted nothing more than to humiliate Eren, who wanted nothing more than cheap, easy sexual favors from Eren, had the audacity to act concerned and possessive over Eren…who was no longer his to be possessive over.

Fuck you.

Levi did not answer Kirstein immediately. In fact, it looked as if he were about to ignore Kirstein completely. He simply uncrossed his arms, uncrossed his legs and stood up from the bench on which he was sitting. For a few seconds, he was motionless. He did not look at the man before him but he could sense the brunette's anger. It was palpable. It was uncalled for. Jean Kirstein had no right to feel this way about Eren, and absolutely no right to confront Levi in this manner.

"Answer me," Kirstein demanded.

Levi took a step forward then, closing the gap between Kirstein and himself and lifting his eyes to meet the angry hazel orbs of Eren's ex-lover. Kirstein flinched slightly as their eyes met but otherwise stood his ground, holding himself firm as Levi stood but a breath away from him. Valiant, Levi thought, but stupid.

"What I did to Yeager is none of your goddamn concern."

"The hell it is!" Kirstein snapped, lifting a hand to shove Levi on the shoulder.

Big mistake.

Before his hand could make contact with the shorter man's body, Levi had Kirstein's wrist in a lock and twisted the brunette's arm in such a way that his whole body followed suit, hissing a profanity as he was forced to his knees. Levi stood behind him with his arm twisted in an unnatural position, teetering on the brink of tearing a muscle or worse yet, snapping a bone.

"Stay out of my fucking business," Levi growled, twisting Kirstein's arm further, threatening to go all the way. Kirstein cried out as his arm got ever closer to breaking. "And the next time I so much as hear a rumor about you laying hands on someone I will fucking kick you out of my dojo and make fucking sure that your piece of shit self never competes again, do you fucking understand, Kirstein?"

"Ah, fuck," Jean growled as Levi twisted harder. "Yes! Fuck! I ge-ah! I get it!"

"Good." Levi released Kirstein then, pushing the brunette forward and sending him to the floor. "Now fuck off."

The brunette was on his feet and making his way to his locker without hesitation. As he walked, Levi watched him flex his fingers and rub his arm, presumably to make the burn of the manhandling dissipate. He quietly collected his bags from his locker, throwing Levi one last hateful glare before slinking out of the locker-room without a word. The dog's obedience was was pleasing, almost as pleasing as his leaving.

Only once Kirstein was clear of the area did Levi relax. He breathed out a long sigh of relief before turning towards the cubicles to check on Eren. As he walked, he recounted what had just happened and once again found it unbelievable how Kirstein, after everything Levi had witnessed, had the audacity to behave like that. The possessive nature of the human male could truly never be underestimated.

"Eren?" Levi asked, knocking softly on the cubicle. "Are you alright, brat?"

A moment of silence passed before Eren eventually said, "Yeah."

"Let's get you home."

"Are you taking me home again?" Eren asked. Despite how weak his voice was, the smile was evident.

A smile touched the corners of Levi's mouth. "Your place or mine?"

Eren sighed. He did not answer immediately, and Levi could only hope that it was because he was trying to find a way to say he wanted to go home with Levi. To Levi's house.

This moment was another conundrum. Just like last night where Levi's answer to a simple question had the potential to make or break any sort of relationship between the two, what Levi or Eren said next may very well be the first brick on the foundation laid last night. Yet despite that, Eren did not speak. The silence dragged on, and Levi's hope stretched until it was so thin it was a barely recognizable element in his mind.

Did he want Eren to come home with him? Of course! Despite the fantasies he'd had of Eren, despite wanting to bed the gorgeous brunette, he wouldn't dream of taking advantage of Eren in this state. It would be inhumane. Besides, Levi added as an afterthought, he preferred his lovers feisty and not limp.

Did Eren want to come to his house? Maybe. Eren hadn't explicitly said no, and that resigned sigh had a world of hidden intent. Levi knew he should never assume anything about anyone, but there was something about that resignation that opened the floor to an invitation.

Fuck it. Levi knew that if he never took any risks, he would never reap any rewards. After all, it was not as if he would be asking Eren out…he would simply be suggesting Eren could spend the night at his home to rest and remain under his supervision.

"You can come home with me if you'd like," Levi said, pinching his eyes shut and balling his hands into fists as soon as the words left his mouth.

The silence that followed was harrowing. Levi could feel his heart begin to beat faster and harder as it started crawling from his chest up into his throat. He could feel the adrenaline polluting his blood; his fingertips and lips started tingling, his skin became itchy and his mouth was suddenly parched. It took all his self-control to keep his breathing steady and even then he could hear the unevenness as he breathed.

Why was he feeling this way? It was not as if he had asked Eren to sleep with him. It was not as if he were asking Eren out on a date. His words were innocent. It was a simple suggestion made out of concern. There was no ulterior motive hidden in his sentence. Or was there? A hope, perhaps, of something to come, maybe not tonight, but in the future.

No.

The toilet lid closed. Levi held his breath. The toilet flushed. Levi's heart stood still. The cubicle unlocked, and Levi stepped back, unsure of what he would see when that door opened. And it opened painfully slowly. Levi watched as the blue wood yielded, eventually bringing Eren into view, and it took so much more willpower than it should have to meet Eren's eyes.

And when he did, relief very nearly drowned him.

Eren was smiling. Weakly, but the happiness in those mesmerizing emerald orbs of his was infectious. He looked like a boy who had just received his favorite toy as a gift from Santa, and was now standing before that very Santa in wonder and filled with thanks.

"Really?" Eren asked.

Levi smiled. "I fucked you up like this. I can't exactly leave you to fend for yourself, now can I?"

Smooth, idiot.

Eren chuckled. "No. That wouldn't be very nice."


They say one must take responsibility for one's actions. And here we are, on our way to Levi's home. Stay tuned to find out what happens next ;P